Keith Millen is hoping for transfer activity at Carlisle United in the next week as the Blues face a crucial January window.

The manager says United need to strengthen their squad because “the league table doesn’t lie” and also with a hectic fixture list in mind.

And while Millen played down the prospect of new faces in time for Carlisle’s first two games of the new year, he hopes for additions soon.

“We won’t have anyone for January 1,” he said, speaking at his press conference ahead of United’s trip to Scunthorpe. “You imagine not many teams will manage to get deals done by then.

“Then we’ve got the Papa John’s game [at Harrogate] on Tuesday. I don’t envisage anyone coming in for that – maybe if they did they’d be cup-tied anyway.

“We’ve got to focus on the next two games. I think things will happen hopefully in the next week, because one thing’s for sure, we’re going to have a lot of fixtures to fit in.

“The stronger I can get the squad the better we’ll be.”

United are set to return to action tomorrow for the first time in three weeks after a series of Covid postponements.

They will do so in a fixture against one of their close rivals in the survival battle.

On United’s prospects in the market, Millen added: “It’s common knowledge we’ve not scored enough goals, not created enough – that’s the biggest part of the team I’ve been looking at.

“More creativity – can we get more people in the building that can score goals?

“That’s not just centre-forwards, it could be anyone in the team. That’s been our weakness all season; that’s the main thing we’re trying to address.

“We need to improve because the league table doesn’t lie. I’ve got to bring players in who are going to make us better, more competitive [and create] more competition for places.”

Millen says he will not make a player’s Covid vaccination status a condition of them joining the Blues, but said “it would be handy” if they had been jabber.

“I’ll certainly be asking the question if we do sign anyone,” he added.

United’s manager, meanwhile, says there have not yet been any serious expressions of interest from other clubs in his players.

He told the News & Star: “It’s phonecalls – we make phonecalls, people make phonecalls to us but no offers, no serious interest, just people ringing up sometimes asking about certain players – but that’s what we all do anyway, that’s the way things work in the transfer market.

“I’m not expecting to lose any players, really; certainly the ones I want to keep I’m under no pressure from the board to sell anyone.

“They recognise where we are as a club and give me their backing to bring players in financially.”

Millen has not ruled out loaning out some of United’s younger players if the Blues add to their squad and first-team opportunities become more limited.

The Cumbrians have two more weeks, meanwhile, to sort out keeper Mark Howard’s future.

The goalkeeper’s short-term deal is almost up but Millen has clarified that the experienced No1 can still feature in United’s early games in the new year.

“It [his deal] finishes on January 13 or 14,” the manager said. “He’s still available until then. We’re still talking and negotiating, and trying to get something sorted as soon as possible.”